1. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the roll-out of the Welsh Baccalaureate? OAQ(5)0117(EDU)

Thank you, Angela. The new, more rigorous, Welsh baccalaureate was introduced in September 2015, and I firmly believe learners in Wales will benefit from studying it. I still expect every school in Wales to deliver the Welsh bac at key stage 4 and all post-16 institutions to work towards full implementation by 2019-20.

Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. But I do have a concern about the implementation of the Welsh baccalaureate, which I would like your take on. We have individuals who are at the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum, or who have another learning need, and yet able to cope with academic subjects. However, these individuals often struggle with undertaking the skills challenge element of the baccalaureate, where emphasis is placed on individual challenges and where learners must work as a team. I have examples of situations where learners are becoming mentally ill or refusing to attend school because of the stress of coping in that kind of situation. Indeed, I have one constituent whose father went on to suicide watch because he was so worried about his child.

But schools are taking a hard line and refusing to withdraw learners from the baccalaureate, even though the current guidance states it’s not a statutory requirement. Cabinet Secretary, I suspect schools are taking this hard line because, and I’m quoting Estyn’s guidance, achievement of the Welsh Baccalaureate will be one of the school performance measures for key stage 4 used by the Welsh Government for reporting on school standards from 2018.’

How will you ensure that there’s a reconciliation between the needs of an individual learner, and the desire for schools to make sure that they don’t fall behind on school standards?

Thank you, Angela. Firstly, can I say I believe it’s important that all learners have an opportunity, at post 16, to select courses that reflect a wide range of interests and abilities and are relevant to individual circumstances? Now, in line with the recommendations from the review of qualifications, the Welsh Government continues to encourage universal adoption of the Welsh baccalaureate. But, as you have quite rightly said this afternoon, it is not statutory for learners to undertake, nor is it compulsory for centres to provide. Whilst we encourage schools and colleges to deliver the Welsh baccalaureate because of the benefit it will bring to their students, learners can be withdrawn from the subject on request. With regard to high-stakes accountability measures, I have given a commitment to review high-stakes accountability measures so that we get a more accurate and a better reflection of school standards, and officials are currently working on this.

I’m pleased to hear, Cabinet Secretary, that it’s not an obligation on the student to adhere to the Welsh baccalaureate. I understand that it should be an obligation of the education provider to give opportunities to students, and I think that the community volunteering aspect and the emotional resilience aspect are really important parts of anybody’s education.

But I have had correspondence from people expressing concern that, by being forced to do the Welsh baccalaureate, they are having to limit their options of what they would choose to study. And I think it’s a particular concern at key stage 5, where students are perhaps competing to get in to some of the most competitive universities. It is A-levels that are going to be the determining factor, and three A-levels are demanded by places like Cambridge and Warwick, and the Welsh baccalaureate doesn’t come into it. So, I think it’s quite important that we’re not obliging students, at key stage 5 in particular, when they’re no longer in compulsory education, to do it, and that there should be room within the system, in key stage 4, to enable students who would prefer to follow another option to opt out. And I wondered if you’d be able to give guidance as to whether that is really possible.

Can I thank the Member for her question and observation? But, let me be absolutely clear, the Welsh baccalaureate aims to provide young people in Wales with added breadth to their learning and supports them in the acquisition of skills, which I feel are desirable both to universities and to employers. Now, the components’ flexibilities allow centres to cater for students’ individual needs, providing a platform for students to explore and increase their in-depth, subject-specific knowledge. When it comes to institutions accepting the Welsh baccalaureate, let me be clear that the vast majority of universities take the Welsh baccalaureate. It has been designated Universities and Colleges Admissions Service points by Qualifications Wales because of the high, rigorous standards that are involved, and I come across young people and parents all the time who tell me that their child has gained a place in a prestigious university on the basis of the Welsh bac qualification. For instance, a young lady that just took work experience with me who will begin her degree course in Cardiff this September. Only this week, Tudur Owen, the Welsh language comedian, was telling me at the teaching awards that his son gained his place at Bristol University last year on the basis of his Welsh baccalaureate. Let’s be absolutely clear: this qualification adds value to student, and it does not take away from their opportunities to study at the most prestigious universities, whether that be here in Wales or anywhere else.